Re: Tie up loose ends

: : : : : : : The ends here are almost certainly those of rigging ropes on a sailing ship. There were many such ropes associated with the sails and the ends were tightly bound to prevent them unravelling. One consequence of this was that when there was little else to do the Captain would order his men to check the ropes and repair any of those with loose ends. Hence, if one is at loose ends then there is not much of anything to be done; life is a little dull and boring.

: : : : : : : When I was growing up (London, the 60s) one was always "at a loose end" (singular). I don't think I ever heard "at loose ends" (plural) I those days. And the singular form doesn't make any sense at all in the context of sailors tidying up.

: : : : : "At loose ends" is common in the U.S. "At a loose end" is unfamiliar.

: : : : It was/is always 'ends' whenever I've come across the phrase. It's not heard too often now - perhaps that's me - but was very common in my childhood and youth in the 1930s and 40s in London.

: : : Are we talking about "at a loose end," as in, "I'm at a loose end just now"? Memory is a tricky thing, but that sounds like a normal phrase to me. I'm sure I've heard it more than once, but then, I may once have been sure there was a Santa Claus. SS

: : Smokey, you mean there isn't a Santa. (Coming from a 22 year old)

: : Has anybody any evidence of the nautical theory? I mean, any documented use of the phrase in this sense? or are we just going for it becuase it sounds sort of likely?

I am familiar with the phrase: "being at loose ends" And now SS indicates there may not be a Santa Claus--what is this world coming to?